[20] Proceed the journey

-Ash Constantine-

In a narrow, dark alley at night, two children fled from a slave trader. They took advantage of the loose security to try to escape. The two children were siblings, though not by blood. One was a half-elf, while the other was a human.

As they ran and felt confident they had escaped, they were spotted and chased to the end of the alley. There, they could run no further. Despite this, the half-elf boy stood his ground, protecting his human sibling with resolute determination.

In this desperate situation, a beastman with dog-like ears and a tail suddenly appeared to help them. The beastman assessed the dire situation and remarked, "Oh dear, I hoped there would at least be two Saint-class warriors among them, but it's just a group of advanced rank."

One of the slave guards, whose face was already turning blue, looked up with an angry and threatening expression. "You… You'll pay for this!" he shouted furiously.

The beastman sighed deeply, then produced a small pouch and tossed it towards the guard. "That should be enough to redeem them. Also, I didn't kill you, so there's more than enough coin for your treatment," he said calmly.

"Eh?" The guard appeared momentarily confused.

"Well, you asked me to pay, didn't you? I've done so," added the beastman nonchalantly.

There was a brief, awkward silence. The slave guard examined the pouch filled with silver coins, and his expression quickly shifted from anger to a friendly smile. He seemed satisfied with the payment.

"Alright, let's consider this settled," the guard said in a much friendlier tone, nodding to the beastman.

The beastman nodded back, then led the two rescued children away, leaving the guard with a pouch of money in his hand.

After rescuing these two slave children, I took them to the inn. There, I observed them with my sharp yellow eyes. One of the children had long ears and quite a cute face; I was certain he would grow into a handsome young man. The other was a human girl with maroon hair and features that were already beautiful even at a young age.

They stood before me, the boy in front and the girl behind, clearly indicating that the girl was of the timid type.

"Names..." I said quietly.

They exchanged glances, then shook their heads.

I should have guessed, there might be some issues in their lives before meeting me that led them to discard their names, or perhaps they simply did not want to reveal them. In that case, it would be fine for me to give them names, wouldn't it?

"You are Zephyr Ranga," I said, addressing the boy. "And you are Aurelia Mala," I said, looking gently at the girl.

They seemed surprised for a moment, but then slowly smiled, accepting their new names with relief and newfound hope.

"Zephyr, Aurelia, you are safe now. I will protect you," I said softly but with conviction.

They merely nodded faintly, their eyes still filled with fear but beginning to shine with a glimmer of hope. I knew their journey was far from over, but at least for now, they had found a safe place.

"T...Kind sir, could you tell us your name?" Zephyr stammered, seemingly not yet accustomed to the human language.

"Oh, right... Ash Constantine. No need for formality, just call me Ash."

Their eyes widened, and they nodded quickly and enthusiastically. However, my attention was immediately drawn to their dirty clothes, which were unfit for anyone. I moved to my large bag beside the bed and retrieved the cloth I had bought earlier that day. I laid it on the floor and drew an alchemical circle around it with chalk.

The two children looked puzzled at what I was doing. However, I saw this as an opportunity to try something new—alchemy. After discussing magic with Ciel-sensei, I was inspired to explore alchemy. Ciel-sensei explained that this study existed on Earth and was quite advanced, which piqued my interest.

Alchemy, essentially, is the art and science of transforming materials through transmutation processes. In this world, alchemy is not limited to laboratory experiments as it is on Earth. Here, alchemy allows one to quickly and efficiently transform one substance into another, often using only magical circles and energy. This makes it possible to create products or repair items at the speed of a blink.

With full concentration, I placed my hands on the alchemical circle and recited an incantation. In an instant, the cloth transformed into two sets of clean, suitable clothing for Zephyr and Aurelia. They stared at the new clothes with wide eyes, amazed by what had just happened.

"These are for you," I said with a smile. "Change into these clothes and enjoy the comfort you deserve."

Both of them were taken aback, eyes wide, unsure of what had just occurred, especially Aurelia, who immediately asked, "T... Sir, what did you just do?"

"Hmm? Oh, right. Perhaps alchemy isn't common in this world. What I did was alchemy," I explained. I then gave a brief overview of alchemy, describing its basic concept and how it works.

"Ooh! That's amazing!" exclaimed the maroon-haired girl, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Meanwhile, Zephyr, though surprised, didn't seem particularly interested in alchemy. Instead, he asked something else. "S-Sir, could you teach me the sword techniques you used earlier?"

"Hoho... Why?" I asked with raised eyebrows, curious about his motivation.

"I-I... I need to become strong, to protect what is precious to me and so that others don't underestimate me for being weak!" Zephyr replied, determination clear in his eyes.

Aurelia and I reacted differently. Aurelia's face showed anxiety and concern, while I felt impressed by Zephyr's resolve. He had a mature mindset for his age, recognising that this world could be very harsh and dangerous. He understood that he needed strength to protect himself and those he loved.

"Very well, it's quite brave of you to make such a request at our first meeting. I agree to teach you my sword techniques, but first, clean yourselves and change clothes. We'll discuss it further tomorrow. I will be travelling, so we will practice on the road," I said with a confident smile.

Zephyr and Aurelia nodded, showing enthusiasm and gratitude. They quickly set about cleaning themselves and changing their clothes. For tonight, it seems I'll be sleeping on the floor, although the two children protested, I insisted because I had made a sleeping bag earlier.